tbr frittroptitist.
The " special meeting" of the Westminster Reform Association, summoned last week to consider the propriety of presenting an address to the Earl of Durham, was held on Wednesday evening. The fol. lowing address was moved by Mr. Prout.
"TO THE RIGHT 1105. THE EARL 01 DURHAM.
" we, the members of the Westminster Reform Association, approach your Lordship with feelings of great respect, and consider your presence in England at this critical period as an occinreuce of vast importance for the advancement of civil liberty in this laud of faction, misrule, and consequent discontent. • We have it), great satisfaction read. and trust we may confide in, your Lordship's declaration to the people of Devouport, that your opinions on the great principles of Reform are • not only unchanged and unchangeable,' but that they are more and more confirmed by longer experience; and as your Lordship has referr-d to your deciaratioa made to the people of Scotland in 1834 as a test of those principles, we can assure your Lordship, that a large portion of your countrymen are anxiously waiting to aid your laudable exertions in so great a cause. The Westminster Reform Society have ever bad in view the same measures of reform so ably advocated by your Lordship in the speech you have referred to.—namely. Household Suffrage, Triennial Parliaments, and Voting by Ballot ; each and all of %Welt we lament being compelled to say are op- posed by the present Administration.
" We cannot be mistaken in assuring your Lordship, that for the protection of pro-
perty, the encouragement of industry, the increase of trade, commerce, and agriculture, all the WI, RIO coatiOrts of life, the reforms so cordially acknowledged by your Lord- ship must be eari led into bill and complete eff, et. That delay cannot tail to be attended by many most serious evils; and that neglect of those important measures for any considerable period will probably present their being safely and peaceably adopted at any time. " We, therefine, ardently hope at this conjuncture, when many circumstances corn- Iiitie to all your Lordship's exertions, that your Lordship may be blessed with the health and strength ineessary to enable you to bring to a happy conclusion matters of this great impultauee, unit so happily anti permanently honourable to yourself." Mr. Prout mentioned that he had lately received several letters from the country, till of them stating that Lord Durham was the only man who had the power and the will to introduce and carry those measures which the People wanted- " Some persons might say that there were other men equally capable and equally liberal as the Etrl of Durham; solute people might point to Lord Brougham. Be did not wish to pass any opinion with respect to the latter statement ; but he hoped the time would soon come when those two great men would, to the titter dismay both of NVItigs and Tories, amalgamate, and unite their etfoi is on behalf of the people."
The bust sentiment was loudly cheered.
Dr. Wade, though an advocate of universal suffrage, deemed it wise to promote the cooperation of the middle with the working classes, which was springing tip every day ; and he would support Lord Dur- ham as a sort of link by which the union could be effected. He con- sidered Lord Durham as a stepping.stone by which the Radical party might get out of the " slough of Despond."
Mr. Kemp said, that Lord Dutham wished to make a cat's-paw of the Radicals. They should wait to see whether be would carry out the measures they advocated. It did not appear that Lord Durham was more Liberal than the present Ministers. Did he support Lord Brougham in his advocacy of the Vote by Ballot ? He would be as silent as the grave on the question of the Ballot. Did they think that they could ever get any thing from Lord Durham ? He moved that " no address be presented to Lord Durham." Some discussion followed. The address was carried, and a deputa- tion appointed to present it.
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